SINGAPORE (Reuters) -- Japan led decliners in a mostly weak market for Asian stocks on Thursday, unnerved by speculation about higher interest rates and uncertain growth prospects in the United States, a major market for Asian goods.
Seoul escaped the selling, notching up a seventh straight record high as shipbuilders Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard rose after announcing ship orders.
Most stock markets in Asia fell after minutes from a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting and comments from Fed officials suggested interest rates could rise, which added to worries about the risk of inflation and slower economic growth.
Tokyo's Nikkei index ended down 0.7 percent, dragged down by technology shares, such as Advantest Corp and Canon, which lost 1.6 and 2.1 percent, respectively.
The mood was cautious as the earnings season gets under way.
"The market is holding up, but if we see weak earnings numbers, we have to expect further falls in the market," said Yumi Nishimura, a manager at the investment advisory section of Daiwa Securities SMBC.
MSCI's broadest index of shares elsewhere in Asia was down 0.1 percent by 0620 GMT.
Singapore's Straits Times fell 1.2 percent, while Taiwan's benchmark index was 0.1 percent lower.
Seoul's Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) ended up 0.8 percent and Australian shares closed up 0.1 percent at a record closing high.
decliner
値下｛ねさ｝がり銘柄｛めいがら｝
unnerved by
《be ～》～に狼狽｛ろうばい｝する［落ち着きをなくす］
speculation
〔不確かな情報に基づく〕推量｛すいりょう｝、推理｛すいり｝、推測｛すいそく｝、憶測｛おくそく｝、思弁｛しべん｝、空論｛くうろん｝
インフレーション【inflation】
特定の経済部門の価格上昇にとどまらず，一般的な物価水準が継続的に上昇し，貨幣価値が下落すること。発生原因により需要・ボトルネック・財政・調整・コスト・賃金・輸入インフレなど，物価上昇の速さによってマイルド・クリーピング・ハイパー・ギャロッピング-インフレなどの分類がある。インフレ。
notch up
〔記録｛きろく｝・勝利｛しょうり｝などを〕達成｛たっせい｝する、獲得｛かくとく｝する
shipbuilder
造船｛ぞうせん｝技師｛ぎし｝［業者｛ぎょうしゃ｝・会社｛かいしゃ｝］
respectively
それぞれ、各々｛おのおの｝、一つ一つ、個々｛ここ｝に、各自｛かくじ｝
・ Naoko and Simon
earnings season
決算発表｛けっさん はっぴょう｝シーズン
get under way
始まる、軌道｛きどう｝に乗る、船出｛ふなで｝する、実行｛じっこう｝される
benchmark
〔他のものと比較｛ひかく｝するときの〕基準｛きじゅん｝、標準｛ひょうじゅん｝
・ The new eco-car is a benchmark in fuel efficiency. その新型エコカーが、燃費に関する一つの目安だ。